The best way for us to protect Vermont’s forests from development is to rebuild the market for pulp wood. Most of Vermont’s forests are not protected and about a third are in current use. That means the forest are required to be harvested which keeps them healthy, and continues Vermont’s working landscape heritage. 70% of the harvest cannot be used for building lumber. It is this low-grade, pulpwood that drives sustainable forestry operations.

Rebuilding a lost market

Back in the olden days, before we started doing everything on our phones, there was a healthy market for pulp wood making paper. Since 2009, the New England market for pulpwood lost 2.1 million tons of capacity due to the closing of the region’s paper mills.

The average age of the Vermont land-holder is 70-something and in most cases there is no succession plan to protect forests from the lure of quick profits from development. We only have a short window of time to rebuild the market for pulpwood. So, what does this have to do with wood pellet boilers and furnaces?

We have the solution

The new generation of hands-free, clean-heat wood pellet boilers and furnaces are the key to rebuilding the pulpwood market and keeping Vermont’s forests healthy. Renewable wood pellet heating fuel is low cost, price stable, and keeps $.78 of every heating dollar in our region. Wood pellet central heating supports local jobs and sustainable forests in the Northeast.  And instead of sending our dollars to Big Oil, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas heating systems.

Today in Vermont we have a fully-operational wood pellet central heating industry as convenient as oil or gas heating. Now it is up to us to implement these sustainable solutions in our homes. Want to learn more? Check out wood pellet heating explained and sustainable forestry.